The present invention relates to a rescue vehicle.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a rescue vehicle of the type comprising a loading compartment; a first and a second lateral wall def ining said compartment, at least the first said lateral wall having a loading-unloading opening narrower than the length of said compartment and located adjacent to a first longitudinal end of the compartment; at least one stretcher set to a longitudinal transportation position inside said compartment, and movable to and from said compartment through said opening, the stretcher being narrower and longer than the width of said opening; and fastening means for releasably fixing said stretcher in said transportation position.
The present invention may be used to advantage in heliambulances, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
In known heliambulances of the type described above, the stretcher cannot be inserted transversely into the loading compartment on account of the lateral loading-unloading opening, as stated, being narrower than the length of the stretcher. Consequently, to set the stretcher to the longitudinal transportation position inside the loading compartment, the stretcher must be lifted by at least two bearers; at least part of the stretcher, still in the raised position, must be inserted longitudinally through the opening; and the stretcher must be turned into the longitudinal transportation position inside the compartment, and then lowered vertically and locked in the transportation position inside a seat.
It is an object of the present invention to equip the stretcher and the loading compartment in such a manner as to simplify the above operations.
According to the present invention, there is provided a rescue vehicle comprising a loading compartment; a first and a second lateral wall defining said compartment, at least the first said lateral wall having a loading-unloading opening narrower than the length of said compartment and located adjacent to a first longitudinal end of the compartment; at least one stretcher set to a longitudinal. transportation position inside said compartment, and movable to and from said compartment through said opening, the stretcher being narrower and longer than the width of said opening; and fastening means for releasably fixing said stretcher in said transportation position; characterized in that said fastening means comprise two pins projecting downwards from opposite ends of said stretcher; a first and a second seat located inside said compartment, and each for receiving a respective said pin, said first seat being adjacent to said first end and facing said opening, and said second seat being set back with respect to said opening; releasable click-on locking means associated with said first seat to lock the respective said pin inside said first seat; and transverse guide means extending from said second seat and for guiding the respective said pin along a transverse insertion path into said second seat.